As streaming platforms compete for consumers’ attention, Black Americans are proving to be “power TV viewers,” accounting for 46 hours and 13 minutes per week, compared with 34 hours and 57 minutes for the overall U.S. population, according to a new report by Nielsen.
When it comes to their streaming preferences, the biggest beneficiary is YouTube, which claimed 12.7% of total viewing time as of July, compared to 10% for U.S. viewers overall, the ratings measurement firm found. As for the other streaming platforms, Netflix came in second with a 7.2% share, followed by Tubi with 4.8%, Amazon with 4%, Hulu with 2.4%, Roku with 2.2%, Disney+ and Pluto TV with 1.3% each, Peacock with 1.2%, Paramount+ with 1% and Max with 0.9%.
YouTube reaches 63% of Black adults and 44.4% surveyed said that they have purchased products based on YouTube content – outpacing word of mouth (43.7%), Facebook (35.7%), Instagram (32.8%) and TikTok (31%).
“Reaching Black consumers may not be a challenge—but connecting with us can be. Black consumers are leaning into platforms that emphasize conversation and create a sense of connection,” Charlene Polite Corley, Nielsen’s vice president of diverse insights and partnerships, said in a statement. “To win with this community who wields $2 trillion in buying power, brands must prioritize engagement strategies that center diverse Black experiences and cultural nuances.”
Despite streaming gaining overall share with Black viewers year over year, broadcast and cable make up a larger share of the demographic’s TV viewing on a combined basis at 47%, compared to streaming’s 41.4% share – suggesting that traditional channels remain a powerful way for advertisers to reach Black audiences.
And sports remains a key area that offers an opportunity to turn fan loyalty into brand loyalty. Nielsen noted that Black viewership for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship was up 51.2% year over year, while the WNBA All Star Game was up 161% year over year and the WNBA Draft was up 226.9% year over year.
Nielsen found that 51% of Black sports fans would recommend a brand
sponsor—making them 3% more likely than all sports fans. And Black fans are 7% more likely than all sports fans to buy a brand after seeing its sponsorship activations. Sporting events accounted for 19% of Black sports supersfans’ viewership by genre, compared to 17% for general dramas, 12% for news, 10% for a feature film and 9% for sports commentary.
The survey was based on a sample of more than 42,000 homes and over 100,000 real people selected from Nielsen’s national TV panel, as well as 45 million
big data households and 75 million devices from Comcast, Dish, DIRECTV,
Roku and Vizio.
